a love of long ago

the story is set in 19th century France and it highlights the most common question which we face in our life : can true love happen again ? read to know the answer (:

Submitted:Jun 14, 2012
Reads: 69
Comments: 15
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It was at the end of the
dinner opening at the house of Marquis de Piccard. Eleven
ministers, eight young women, and the doctor of the neighborhood
were seated around the great illuminated table covered with
fruits and flowers.

They came to speak of love,
and a great discussion arose, the most common discussion, as to
whether one could love truly only once or many times. They cited
examples of people who had loved no one else in their life but
just one. The men argued that love like a malady can strike a
person many times. The women, whose opinion depended upon poesy
more than on observation, affirmed that love, true love, the
great love could only fall once upon a mortal and it's like a
thunderbolt burning the heart that it strikes.

The marquis, having loved
much, spoke "I will tell you that, one can love many times with
all his strength and all his soul. You all cite to me people who
have killed themselves for love as proof of the impossibility of
falling in love again. I say that if they had not killed
themselves and, removed themselves from all chance of another
fall, they would have been healed and they would have recommenced
again and again, until their natural death. Lovers are just like
drunkards. He who had drunk will drink and he who has loved will
love."

They chose the doctor as
arbitrator and begged him to give his opinion.

The doctor continued "I
have known of one passion which lasted fifty-five years without a
day of respite and which was ended only by death."

"This is beautiful", said a
lady. "What a dream to be so loved! What happiness to live
fifty-five years enveloped in a deep, living affection! How happy
must be the life of one who is adored like that!"

The doctor
laughed:

"In fact, Madame," said
he," you are mistaken on that point, because the one loved was a
man. You know him, its monsieur James, the village chemist. And
as for the woman you know her too, it is the old woman who mends
the chairs and came every year to this house."

The enthusiasm of the women
fell. On their faces a look of disgust seemed to say "horrible"!
- As if love could strike only fine and distinguished
creatures.

The doctor
continued:

"I was called three months
ago, to the bedside of this old woman. She was dying and related
to me the story of her life. I have never heard anything more
affecting or more emotional."

Her father made chair seats
and so did her mother. As a little girl, she went with them
ragged and dirty. No one ever talked to her. When the child went
too far away or made acquaintance with some village urchin, the
angry voice of her father would call her: "come back here you
brat!" and these were the only words of tenderness she ever
heard.

When she grew older they
sent her around to collect the worn out chairs to be mended. Then
she made some acquaintances among the street
children.

Often the boys would throw
stones at her. Sometimes ladies would give her a few
pennies.

One day when she was twelve
years old, she met little James crying, because someone had
stolen two sous from him. The tears of this little rich citizen,
the kind of people who never glanced at her, quite upset her. She
went up to him and when she learned the cause of the trouble she
poured into his hands all her savings, which he took happily,
drying his tears. Then, mad with joy she had the audacity to hug
him. As he was more interested in counting the money, he allowed
her to do so. Seeing that she was neither repulsed nor beaten,
she hugged him again and kissed him slightly on the cheek. Then
she ran away.

What could have taken place
inside her childish brain after that? Did she attach herself to
him because she had sacrificed her miserable savings or because
she had given to him her first tender kiss?

For months she dreamed of
this boy. In hope of seeing him again, she robbed her parents,
keeping back some money which she got for her work.

She wandered throughout the
village in order to catch a glimpse of the one her little heart
adored. She found him in his father's drug store and, she loved
him more, charmed and aroused to ecstasy.

This picture became an
undeletable memory, and when she saw him the next year playing
marbles with his friends, she threw herself upon him and kissed
him so violently that he began to howl with fear. Then in order
to please him, she gave him all her money - seventy sous, a
treasure which he looked at with bulging eyes and he let her
caress him.

During the next four years
she turned into his hands all her savings, which he pocketed in
exchange for some kisses. She thought of nothing but him and he
waited for her to return with certain impatience, running to meet
her, which made the heart of the poor girl leap with
joy

.

This continued for a year
more and then he disappeared. He went to college. She found it
out by skillful questioning.

She went pass his place
every day and for two years she did not see him; then she
scarcely recognized him, he looked so handsome in his coat, so
imposing. He feigned not to see her and passed proudly by near
her.

She wept over it for two
days, and her grief never ceased.

Every year she returned to
his village, passing him without ever getting a look from him.
She loved him passionately and said to me "doctor, he is the only
man I have seen on earth; I don't know that there are others
existing".

Her parents died and she
continued their trade. Her solitary existence had no meaning and
she only wished for him, only lived for him.

One day she saw a young
woman walking, with her hands holding those of her beloved. She
was his wife. He was married.

That evening she threw
herself into a pond and a beggar got her out and took her to the
pharmacy. James, the son came down and without appearing to
recognize her said to her in a hard voice: "my! You are foolish!
Why do you make a beast of yourself like this?"

That was sufficient to cure
her. He had spoken to her! She was happy for a long time. She
made chair seats and thought of James all her life was spent like
this. She had the habit of buying from him useless medicines. In
this way she could see him, speak to him and give him a little
money".

"As I told you she died
this spring, after relating her sad history , she begged me to
give to him, whom she had so patiently loved, all her savings
because she had worked only for him , fasting even in order to
save money so that he would at least think of her once after she
was dead.

She gave me two thousand
three hundred and twenty seven francs. After her approval ,
twenty seven francs were spent on her burial.

Next day, I went to house
of the chemist. The husband and wife had just finished breakfast
and were sitting opposite each other, feeling happy and
important.

They made me be seated and
offered tea which I accepted: then I commenced in an emotional
voice, persuaded that they were going to weep.

When he understood that he
had been loved by this vagabond, a chair mender, a nobody, James
jumped with indignation, as if he was robbed of his reputation,
of his honor and pride, which was dearer to him than
life.

His wife also shocked, kept
repeating "the beggar! The beggar!" without being able to find
any other word.

He got up and walked about
in anger and muttered "if I had known this while she was alive I
would have had her arrested and shut up in prison".

I was stupefied at the
result. I neither knew what to say nor what to do. But I had to
complete my task. I said: "she has charged me to give you all her
savings, which amount to two thousand three hundred francs. As
what I have told you seem to be so disagreeable to you, perhaps
it would be better to give this money to the poor."

They looked at me, impotent
from shock. I drew the money from my pocket and asked "what do
you decide?"

Mrs. James spoke first. She
said 'since, this was the last wish of the beggar it seems
inappropriate to refuse it'

I remarked dryly 'as you
wish'

He continued "yes, give it
to us. We can always find means of using it in some good
work''

I laid down the money and
went out. I could not say a word because a druggist and a doctor
should not be enemies.

This is the only profound
love I have ever seen in my life".

The room was filled with
sighs and it was decided that it's only the woman who know how to
love.

(I would like to thank my
friend Erwan, who helped me with the French theme, this story is
a tribute to all lovers.)